The writer is Dieter Schoon, Global Head of Human Resources at itelligence AG

There are many speed bumps on the road to success, but perhaps the most important hurdle is achieving strong communications. To realize this objective and show true value, we must have a deeper understanding of all of our business partners’ attitudes, beliefs and processes.

Business Heroes, a second-edition book to be released by itelligence on 7th March, addresses these challenges and pulls the curtain back on the exciting day-to-day activities of a profession that one normally only experiences second hand. While the book’s original release in 2010 focused on compelling accounts from our Germany-based consultants, our new edition presents treasured stories from our global consultants that explore how to overcome challenges when the wide world of consulting converges with the unique realities and wonderful differences of international business.

Featuring insightful retrospectives from legendary figures such as itelligence AG Chairman and CEO Herbert Vogel, itelligence Switzerland co-founder Armin Frei, and former SAP Board Member Hans Schlegel, we provide mental images of the complete consultant as someone who delves deeply into matters with an eye on the big picture. With a global approach, consultants learn to be open-minded about various ways of living and working—evoking curiosity about ways of communicating and thinking—while also learning to always be ready to act.By carefully selected vignettes that we believe will appeal to everyone—from a consultancy managing director to a newbie—Business Heroes strives to explain the essential qualities of being a global player in the areas of cooperation, building bridges, crossing borders and merging cultures. We believe our consultants’ writings redefine the old saying, “Think global, act local.”

This is the first blog in a series of posts we’ll dedicate to the forthcoming Business Heroes release. In the coming weeks, we will share abstracts of four of the contributions to immerse you even further into the book’s unique offering and ubiquitous relevance.